Investigators reveal work to weed out pre-Olympics cheating
- Jul. 22, 2021 06:50 AM EDT
FILE - In this May 9, 2021, file photo, Japanese athletes compete during an athletics test event for Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games at the National Stadium, in Tokyo, Japan. Tens of thousands of visiting athletes, officials and media are descending on Japan for a Summer Olympics unlike any other. There will be no foreign fans, no local fans in Tokyo-area venues. A surge of virus cases has led to yet another state of emergency. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
Eugene Hoshiko
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MONACO (AP) — Eight Olympic qualifying performances in track and field were wiped out because of suspicions of cheating and the athletes were denied entry to the Tokyo Games, investigators said Thursday.

Reports of suspicious activity came from 16 different countries, track’s Athletics Integrity Unit said after identifying possible pre-Games cheating. It did not identify the countries or the athletes involved.

The alerts related to “unreliable photo-finish pictures, the short measuring of courses, illegal use of pacers, use of unauthorized field instruments and incorrect timings,” the AIU said.

Investigations looked at performances by 31 athletes and five relay teams, and will continue to assess if fraud was involved in the eight suspect cases, the Monaco-based AIU said.

“This work has been important in protecting the integrity of the qualification process and the fair allocation of competition places for athletes,” AIU chairman David Howman said.

Track and field events start at the National Stadium in Tokyo on July 30.

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